so ive been running a Comet SBB5 on a mag mount for like two years on my F-150 and i finally decided to do a proper permanent install. ordered an NMO through-hole mount and now im second guessing where to drill. everyone says roof center is best for pattern but im genuinely not thrilled about drilling through my roof, like thats not reversible and i dont want water issues down the road.

trunk lip mount or hatch lip is the other option and i know the pattern gets a little wonky with the vehicle body in the way on one side. but no hole in the roof. im mostly doing local repeater work and some simplex, not chasing DX or anything crazy. does the pattern difference actually matter for everyday 2m/70cm use or am i overthinking it? also is there a decent lip mount that actually holds up and doesnt scratch everything or loosen up after a few months of highway driving

honestly for repeater use you probably wont notice the difference. the pattern thing matters more if youre doing weak signal work or trying to hit something specific and youre off to the side of it. for just hitting the local machine the roof center is technically better but a good lip mount is fine. ive had a diamond K400 lip mount on my jeep for three years now, zero issues, doesnt scratch, clamps on solid. the coax routing is a little awkward but nothing you cant manage with a good drip loop.

if you ever think youll do serious vhf contesting or SOTA activations from the vehicle then maybe reconsider the roof hole. but for everyday use dont stress it

i drilled my roof for a NMO on my last truck and honestly it was fine, used a good rubber grommet and sealant, never had a leak in 4 years. but i get the hesitation. on my current car i went with a trunk lip just because i lease it and yeah that pattern compromise is real but like the other guy said for repeater stuff its pretty much irrelevant. 70cm especially you have enough signal margin most of the time that a slightly lopsided pattern doesnt matter unless youre at the edge of range